Many people would agree that these are very troubling times that we live in. Wars are being fought in various parts of the globe. Civil unrest is happening in many major cities around the country. With a major political election looming in my country towards the end of the year, there is a great political divide, with so much animosity and hostility from both sides. People are afraid and are looking for something or someone they can turn to and cling to for safety and help. Our psalm this week gives us the answer of who we can turn to in the times of the dire trouble and turmoil that surrounds us.
We are looking at the second half of Psalm 33, and in this passage the unknown psalmist tells his audience, the people of his country, who alone they can trust to help them. Since we do not know who the psalmist is, we cannot be certain of the times or the circumstances occurring then, but no matter whether things are going smoothly or not, he lets us know who to turn to.
As we read from our Scripture, the nation or people who have turned to the Lord God, and are worshiping Him, are blessed (vs. 12). They can look to Him and be protected. They have His favor and will be happy and be fully satisfied. The more they turn to and depend upon Him, the more joy they will have. As we look around the world today, who do we see the nations and peoples worshiping? In addition to some nations that continue in worship of multitudes of idols and pagan deities, we see other nations worshiping power, worshiping pleasure and perversity, and worshiping money and technology. None of these will ever bring happiness, joy, or satisfaction in one’s life or the life of the nation as a whole. When countries turn away from the Lord Jesus, then they begin a downward spiral that will not end well. Blessings only come when our God is the Lord Jesus.
People may think that they can hide from God, that He can’t see what they are doing. That is a mistaken notion, as God sees all of us, everyone, and knows what we all are doing (vs. 13-15). No sin, no attack, no crimes ever go unnoticed by Him. Some may criticize and say that either there is no God, or else He is heartless, but He takes note, and will one day judge all those who have opposed Him and His Word.
As we continue to observe the nations of the world, both in the present day, and throughout history, who do the people trust in to protect them from their enemies? Fear of enemy attack has caused many nations to build up their military, amassing weapons, armored tanks, etc., in the hopes of protecting themselves (vs. 16-17). However, our psalmist reminds us that this is futile. No matter how big one’s military is, that ultimately will not save them.
In ancient times a war horse was a powerful weapon. We can think of tanks or highly sophisticated aircraft and drones as equivalent today. But even if one’s military has the best, we are reminded that they are a vain hope for safety. They cannot always deliver us. We need to trust in the Lord God, not a military, not a political figure, nor in amassing great amounts of money and gold. For sure protection, we must look only to the Lord God (vs. 18-19).
Not only do we face seemingly endless battles and warfare in the world, as believers we also face spiritual battles against Satan and his kingdom of darkness. In our warfare against Satan and his powers of evil, our own efforts of good works are useless. Our only hope in this battle is by placing our hope and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ. Only He can deliver us from sin, death, and Satan. He, alone, is our help and shield, by putting our faith in His death on the cross.
Sometimes we may feel abandoned and alone in our struggles, whether it is a personal struggle or a national one, whether we feel like our own life is falling apart, or we look around and seem to feel that society is falling apart. How comforting it is to know that God is, in fact, watching over us all the time. Even though we can’t see Him, He is there. Like a loving parent, His eyes and His heart are constantly on us wherever we go. Don’t look to either man, money, or military for your help. Instead, put your faith and trust only in the Lord Jesus for your deliverance.
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